Luffa cylindrica (L.) M.Roem. (= Luffa aegyptiaca Mill.)

DeFilipps, Robert A. & Krupnick, Gary A., 2018, The medicinal plants of Myanmar, PhytoKeys 102, pp. 1-341 : 59-60

Luffa cylindrica (L.) M.Roem. (= Luffa aegyptiaca Mill.)

Names.

Myanmar: kawe-thi, tawbut. English: luffa, sponge gourd, smooth loofah, vegetable sponge.

Range.

Old World tropics. Cultivated in Myanmar.

Uses.

Fruit: Employed as a laxative and also used in the treatment of leprosy.

Notes.

In India the seed is used as a cathartic and emetic ( Jain and DeFilipps 1991). Perry (1980) discusses the species’ medicinal uses in China, Indo-China, the Malay Peninsula, and in general.

Reported constituents include a bitter principle, saponin, mucilage, xylan, mannan, galactan, lignin, fat, and protein ( Perry 1980). Chemical constituents, pharmacological action, and medicinal use of this species in Indian Ayurveda are discussed in detail by Kapoor (1990). The chemistry, pharmacology, toxicology, and use of this species as a hunting poison and medicinal plant in Africa are discussed by Neuwinger (1994). Details of the active chemical compounds, effects, herbal usage, and pharmacological literature are given in Fleming (2000).

Reference.

Nordal (1963).